Chris Potter: Heat still in NBA forecast

Despite falling to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, it would be a mistake to underestimate the Miami Heat going forward.

Chris Potter

Few things inspire hope in a franchise quite like the draft.

It’s an event known almost as much for its colossal blunders — Portland selecting Sam Bowie and Greg Oden over Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant, Milwaukee trading the rights to a lanky foreigner named Dirk Nowitzki for Robert “Tractor” Traylor — than its successes.

Yet at the end of the night team executives can rest easy, blissfully unaware that they just passed up not one, but two future elite point guards for a serviceable role player — like Atlanta did in 2005, when it took Marvin Williams with both Deron Williams and Chris Paul still on the board at No. 2.

The megawatt smiles beaming from Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson as they shook hands with Commissioner David Stern last night might very well turn out to be the first glimpses of the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel for beleaguered Cavaliers fans.

Nearly a year after LeBron James went on ESPN and burned “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach” into the pop culture lexicon, Cleveland seems well on its way to returning to NBA relevancy.

Owner Dan Gilbert will spare no expense in the rebuilding effort. The aggressive philosophy has already paid dividends; the Cavs have Irving in the fold because they were willing to take on Baron Davis’ bloated contract in exchange for the Clippers first-round pick.

Maybe Irving will have a franchise-altering effect on the Cavs. Since the turn of the century, four No. 1 picks have helped take their teams to the conference finals within five years (Kenyon Martin, James, Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose). If Irving and the Cavs can duplicate that lofty feat, a familiar face will likely be waiting for them.

LeBron James and the Heat aren’t going anywhere.

The euphoria that greeted the Heat’s comeuppance at the hand of Nowitzki’s Mavericks everywhere outside of Miami was nearly a palpable thing. Has the talk around barstools and office water coolers ever been more unified of opinion when the hometown team wasn’t involved? It was like watching Rocky and Ivan Drago go toe-to-toe, only spread out over two weeks. All that was missing was James collapsing onto the bench during a fourth quarter timeout and muttering, “He’s not human. He’s like a piece of iron,” after yet another clutch bucket from Dirk.

The Big 3 ensured that their first season together was championship or bust during their poorly-conceived celebratory introduction last summer, when James infamously stated the trio would bring “not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven” titles to Miami.

Dallas taking the final three games of the Finals and LeBron’s fourth quarter disappearing act helped mask the fact that Miami was backing up its boasts for much of the postseason.

The Heat breezed through the Eastern Conference playoffs, going a combined 12-3. Yes, there were some close battles against Boston and Chicago, but it was the Heat, and particularly James, who had the killer instinct in those series, making the Celtics look too old and the Bulls too young. Miami then went up 2-1 in the Finals before everything began to unravel after Dallas rallied from a nine-point fourth quarter deficit to steal Game 4.

The nation was delighted and James defiant following the Mavericks’ 105-95 Game 6 victory that clinched the series, but we can put the Heat’s season in perspective now that Mark Cuban has received a $340,947 bill for the Mavericks parade through Dallas.

Miami came within two wins of a championship with the Big 3 and a roster consisting mainly of castoffs beyond Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem, both of whom were never completely healthy.

Mike Bibby, Erick Dampier, Juwan Howard, Jamaal Magloire and Zydrunas Ilgauskas would have been great role players if George W. Bush was still in his first term. Joel Anthony is a defensive force but is as offensive as a smooth politician on the campaign trail. James Jones and Eddie House are streaky shooters who couldn’t stay in the rotation. The lone bright spot, Mario Chalmers, acquitted himself well in the Finals and should be a solid third guard in the future.

Miami doesn't have to look far for the job qualifications of its roster reinforcements. Pat Riley’s summer to-do list ought to include finding a table-setter point guard capable of defending and hitting the open 3 — a la Jason Kidd. A Tyson Chandler-type banger down low would complement Chris Bosh well. Of course, next season’s salary cap is likely to be substantially lower, hamstringing any major moves for a team that has a large chunk of its payroll tied up in five players.

Miami can take solace in the fact that its main competitors in the East — Boston, Chicago, Orlando — have issues of their own. The Celtics have just six players under contract. Will Danny Ainge allow the original Big 3 one more crack at a title, or will he pull the trigger on a trade with an eye on the future? Chicago is still looking for a perimeter scorer who can generate his own shot. Power forward Carlos Boozer was supposed to alleviate some of the offensive burden on Rose’s shoulders, but was thoroughly outplayed by Bosh in the East finals. Orlando faces the looming possibility of Howard skipping town when his contract expires.
The uncertainty at the top leaves the door wide open for a Miami repeat.

In the end, the Heat’s failure in the 2011 Finals might prove to be a bump in the road, a necessary hurdle to be overcome that will only add another layer to their evolving story.

Few groups reach the pinnacle of the NBA in their first go-round together. The Celtics 2008 championship was the exception, not the rule. Heat is still in the NBA’s future forecast, though maybe as a hungrier, humbler group that, like Nowitzki, will appreciate the struggle more after watching a title slip away.

As Gilbert tweeted after the Mavericks Game 6 win, “Old lesson for all: There are NO SHORTCUTS. NONE.”

Contact Chris Potter at chrispotter@eveningtribune.com.

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